JANUARY. 11 



measure account for the difference. It is rather more difficult to 

 cultivate tlian A. adiantum nigrum ; but in a sheltered spot in the 

 fernerj' it will succeed very uell, if planted in a sandy loam with a 

 portion of peat. 



Nursery, Foots-Cray. Robert Sim. 



THE FRUITIST. 



The articles under this head will be devoted to esteemed varieties of Fruits not 

 sufficiently known or appreciated. 



The Walburton Admirable Peach. This most excellent late 

 Peach was raised from seed at Walburton near Arundel, Sussex, a 

 few years ago. It seems to be a seedhng from the Noblesse Peach, 

 which it much resembles in size and appearance, in the hardy habit 

 of the tree, in its serrated glandless leaves, in the melting quality of 

 its flesh, in its parting freely from the stone, and, what is more, in 

 its delicious flavour ; but its most valuable quality is its ripening 

 from three weeks to a month later than the Noblesse, or about the 

 same time as the late Admirable Peach, which has hitherto been 

 considered the finest late Peach known, and is still considered as 

 such by the pomologists of France. Our Peach is, however, an 

 English variety, a seedling recently raised, and with all the hardi- 

 hood and vigour generally found in seedling fruits raised in this 

 country. A knowdedge of this fact ought to induce every lover of 

 fruit-tree culture to raise seedlings, to prove them, and thus in time 

 to raise a new and hardy generation of all our esteemed fruits. Tiiis 

 season, 1850, its fruit was in fine perfection the first week in October. 

 I may add, that it is now well known in the principal nurseries, and 

 cannot be too widely disseminated. 



The Jefferson Plum. I received this variety eight or ten 

 years ago from America ; and being then rather sceptical as to the 

 pomological judgment of our friends across the Atlantic, I neglected 

 it, and forgot it till aroused by a description and figure of it pub- 

 lished by the London Horticultural Society. I know of no plum 

 more worthy of extensive cultivation. In the south of England and 

 in the midland counties, it succeeds perfectly as a standard or pyra- 

 midal tree in the open quarters of the fruit-garden, and bears most 

 abundantly. Coe's Golden Drop requires a S., S.W., or S.E. wall 

 to ripen its fruit perfectly ; but the Jefl^erson, quite equal to it in 

 flavour, ripens eight or ten days earlier even on a standard or pyra- 

 mid, and is always delicious : in shape it is oval ; in size nearly equal 

 to Coe's Golden Drop ; in colour deep yellow, spotted with amber. 

 Any lover of good fruits, with even a small and very select collection, 

 may plant a tree of this variety of plum with a certainty of receiving 

 satisfaction. It forms a very handsome i)yramid, and with annual 

 root-pruning may be made to occupy a very small space in the sub- 

 urban fruit-garden. 



